New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-15


the suburbs on the West Roxbury branch, and was
caused by the breaking down of the Howe truss
iron bridge which spans South-st. about half way
between Roslindale and Forest Hills stations. The
train left DedAam at Il. IN. IL consisted of an
engine and nine cars IN charge of Conductor w. H..
Alden and Assistants Myron Tildcn and
Webster Drake. and at the time
the disaster took place about 800 persons were on
board and were pretty we'll distributed in the diff
fcrcnt cars, though there were moro in the first
three cars than in any one except tho last which
was the smoking car and was so fail that passen-
gers ~ ROslndalc were unable to obtain seats. In
less than two minutes the englnc crossed tho
bridge and n second LATER Mr. White found that his
train had parted and looking back was hOrriied to
that The bridge had gone and several OF the cars
had disappeared. He stopped his engine and found
that three cars were on the embankment and the
other six were in the highway below lie sounded
tho whistle and attracted the attention of
people who ran to the spot, among the rest police
officer who turned in ife-alarm signal and brought
quickly To the scene the fire apparatus OF R0slin-
dale. In the overturned smokngcar, in which at
least fifty men were imprisoned, slight fire from
the stove made its appearance, which the chemical
engine speedily extingushed. With this exception
there WAS not the least indication of fire. Con-
duc;or Alden. who had fortunate escape, sent
man 10 Forest Hills Station with message an
nouncng the accident to superintendent Folsom,
at Boston. and also to the termni ut Dedham. and
prompt measures were taken for the relief 0f the
wounded.
The first man from outside to reach the wreck
was J. II. Cannon a fish dealer lie was driving
up from Forrest Hills toward the bridge. when tho
engine Of the wrecked train came down the track
whistling wildly. Az Forrest Hills Crossing Can
non stopped his team and shouted to the engineer.
"Whats the matter -
"My train has gone through Tin Bridge. Iele-
graph to Boston," was the reply.
Cannon ran TO the station with the message and
then quickly hastened back to his team and drove
up the road to tho wreck. When he reached
it cres ana groans were coming from
all parts of the awful heap Bruised and
wounded people were crawling out from all parts
of the pile. He found an axe and climbed upon
car No. so, Tho third that lay in the roadway. two
Others beng beneath il. IIo crawled through
window and went to work. woman first de-
mandcd his attention. She was pinned down by
the feet and two seats and the body of a man lay
on top of her. The body and the seats were soon
cot out Of the way Working on tho wood and iron
that held her down caused her to scream with fresh
agony and 1t was some moments before she was
free. Cannon dragged her to window aud James
NJ Clarke and James ii. Cronin helped HIM hit ber
out -Four men, three Of them dead, were taken
from this car by these three men. By TINS time the
iiremen arrived and they with the uniniured from
the wreck went promptly TO work, first to rescue
the imprisoned ones who wcro injured and after
ward to dig out tho dead from the shapeess wreck.
As seon soon after the accident the foremost car
lay minus it's trucks near the track, about 400 feet
from the nearest bridge abutment. II was the rear
truck of this car that first went wrong but the oc-
cupants were not hurt Just back OF this car and
of the rails was the second of the train, swept
from its trucks but near the track ON top OF the
cmbankment The rear end of the car was crushed
by the car behind. The platform was entirely
gone and about feet of the boly OF the car was
demolished The force of tho collision threw the oc-
cupauus of the car violently forward, and tore many
of the seats from their fastenings. The third car
was tho last which reached the embankment 1t
was badly wreuched but 1t retained its general
shape. The passengers were violently shaken up
and bruised. but there were serious casualties
among them. This car ley partly on Its side about